Push & Pull
by asirnay
Summary: As Callie tries to handle her issues with Arizona, Addison returns to Seattle. sequel to Trading War Stories
1. Chapter 1

"Remind me never to fly coach ever again." Addison Montgomery waited impatiently for her hastily packed luggage to pass by on the carousel.

Standing beside her was Dr. Amelia Shepherd, who couldn't resist the urge to smirk at her former sister-in-law's misfortune. "Just because you have a Black Card, that doesn't mean you get have your way all the time."

"Shut up."

"Serves you right anyway. I was flying up here to see Derek and you decide to tag along at the last minute."

"I'm not here to see your brother. Ah, here we go." Addison grabbed hold of her suitcase as it rotated towards her. "I used to live here too, remember? I still have friends in Seattle. Besides, you're not here to visit Derek. You just want to rub the fact that you managed to pull off an impossible surgery in his face, which you got lucky on by the way."

"Oh, so we're going there, huh?" The husky voice brunette parked her hand upon her hip. "You're not just here 'visiting a friend.'" Amelia taunted Addison with air quotes. "You're hiding. From Sam. From Pete. From Naomi. You ran out of town with your tail tucked between your legs."

"Air quotes? Seriously?" Addison walked away, dragging her suitcase behind her. Amelia huffed in disbelief and followed along with her own suitcase.

"Okay, maybe I was a little out of line back there..."

"Uh, ya think?" Dr. Montgomery didn't even bother looking at who was speaking to her.

"...but honestly, Addison, I'm worried about you. You're not you these days. Yeah, you're still a kick ass surgeon. Shit, you made me look good. However, when it comes to your love life..."

"I think you've made it abundantly clear what you think about my love life. On more than one occasion." The fiery redhead finally made eye contact with Amelia again. "And for future reference, next time you have an opinion, do us both a favor and keep it to yourself."

"I'm sorry, Addison. I have a tendency to speak without thinking..."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that."

"...but I care about you. I still love you like family. It just hurts my heart to see you this way."

"I appreciate your concern, Amy..."

"Amelia."

"...excuse me, _Amelia_. But don't waste your time worrying about me. I'm fine."

The young neuro surgeon knew that Addison was lying to herself.

Awaiting Addison's arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Callie Torres was filled with conflicting emotions. She was elated that one of her dearest friends decided to visit. At the same time, she worried about the future of her relationship with Arizona. It took a lot of effort to avoid the bubbly peds surgeon, a task made easier by Arizona herself. The couple was going strong, existing in a state of pure bliss. Certainly, they've had their disagreements. Yet, they always managed to resolve their issues. Arizona recently put the breaks on the relationship, feeling the need for some space. Her girlfriend not wanting kids left Callie wondering if they should break up. Splitting apart would be the easy route. She'd still want to know why someone so good with children didn't want any of her own. Torres sorted through all the moments she brought up the topic, and they all had one thing in common. She remembered the fear in Arizona's eyes. Oddly enough, it gave her hope. It meant that maybe it was something left worth fighting for.

Out the corner of her eye, Callie noticed someone approaching. She glanced over to her right, and returned her attention to what was ahead of her. The dark haired man looked vaguely family, but he was too far to make out who he was. A second glance confirmed that he was in fact someone she knew. Perfectly coiffed brown hair, with a slight streak of grey in the front. Well dressed with an old school movie star swagger. His name, Derek Shepherd; the newly appointed Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace-Mercy West.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Torres."

"Hmph." Callie immediately chuckled. "Do we have to be so formal outside of work?"

"Uh, no. I suppose not." Torres almost swore she noticed a twinkle in his eye when he laughed. "So, Callie, you've got family flying in?"

"Nope, not this time. Addison's coming to visit."

"Really? Nobody called her for consult. At least not that I know of."

"I'm just as surprised as you are. She just called me last night out of the blue and asked me if could I pick her up from here. I was thinking the same thing, maybe she was flying in for a consult. But, no. She's just visiting. So, who are you here to pick up?"

"My sister, Amelia. She's also a neuro surgeon." Derek was beaming with pride that one of siblings followed in his footsteps. "As matter of fact, there she is now...with Addison."

Callie turned towards the two women approaching them and immediately smiled. Addison smiled in return, her vividly auburn locks slightly longer and fuller than the last time she was in Seattle. She towered over a petite brunette walking beside her. When it came to the Shepherds, good hair apparently ran in the family.

Callie walked towards Addison, who paused to give her good friend a warm embrace. Amelia arched up to peck her brother on the cheek before giving him a hug. Addison and Derek greeted each other with a nod and slight smile.

"Amy," Derek gestured at Callie. "This is Dr. Torres, one of my attendings at the hospital."

"Again with the formalities, huh?" The raven haired beauty extended her hand towards the younger Shepherd. "Hi. You can call me Callie."

"Nice to meet you." The fellow surgeons shook hands. "Hmm. That's quite a grip you got there, Callie. Let me guess. Ortho, right?"

"Yeah. How could you tell?"

"Aw, cut it out." Addison slightly tapped Amelia with the back of her hand. "I told her about you on the plane. Such a show off."

"She hasn't changed much, hasn't she?" Derek chuckled as Amelia nudged his arm with her elbow before settling into another hug. "You're staying at the Archfield, Addison?"

"Do you even have to ask?" The fiery redhead responded with a smirk. "I bet Amelia will fit right in at the frat house you call a home."

"Things have calmed down a bit. It's just me and Meredith. And Lexie. And Alex."

"Alex? I thought him and Izzie moved out after they got married..."

Derek shook his head, immediately silencing his ex-wife.

"I'll tell you all about it later." Callie rested her hand on Addison's shoulder.

"Wow. And I thought there was drama at your job, Addison." Montgomery starred daggers at the scrappy young brunette.

"Come on, Amy." Derek smirked as he grasped the handle of his sister's suitcase. "Let's get you back to the frat house. I'll see you two later."

Addison and Callie waved goodbye to the Shepherds.

"Little sisters can be the worst, can they?" Callie locked arms with Addison before they began walking towards the exit.

"I wouldn't know anything about that. I _am_ the little sister."

"Ouch. Open mouth. Insert foot."

"It's okay." Addison gave Callie a friendly nudge with her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Archer has plenty of stories of how irritating I was when we were younger."

Callie responded with a smile.

Shortly after walking into the short term parking lot, Addison's eyes lit up at a familiar sight.

"Aww. You're still driving the Thunderbird."

"Yep, that's my girl." Callie patted the roof of the vintage vehicle she restored herself and opened the passenger door for Addison. The ortho surgeon took over the handle to Addison's suitcase and dragged it to the rear of the Thunderbird, placing it gently inside the trunk. Addison reached over and unlocked the door for her friend, which Callie thanked her for.

"So, how's your other girl? Y'know, the peds surgeon."

Torres' silence was an indication of things were going with Arizona. Addison caressed her shoulder, hoping it would ease her nerves.

"We're sort of on a break." Callie's gaze was fixated on the steering wheel. "I was cooking us dinner and she came over. She told me she wasn't staying... "

When Torres' voice cracked, Addison put her arm around her friend's shoulder and leaned over to peck her on the side of her forehead.

Callie cleared her throat.

"...she told me she wasn't staying." The ortho surgeon's voice was back to full strength. "She was there to pick up some of her things and to tell me that she needed some space."

"You think you'll be able to work things out?"

"She's scared, Addison. She's scared and it hurts me that she doesn't want to talk about it."

"I tell you what." The former Mrs. Shepherd took hold of Callie's hand. "Come crash with me at the Archfield. We'll order room service. We'll make it a girl's night. Just the two of us. We'll be like...Thelma and Louise."

"Uh, Addison. I love you, but I am not driving over a cliff for you. No freakin' way. I worked too hard on this car."

Addison was happy that she was able to bring a smile back to Callie's face.

"Is she alright?" Lexie Grey observed Arizona walking back and forth in the hallway, lost in her thoughts.

"Dude, she's seriously tweaking right now." Alex Karev stood beside his roommate as she watched his mentor. "Why else would she be pacing in front of Dr. Wyatt's office?"

"_Dude_, I can hear you." The peds surgeon pulled herself out of her funk to admonish her new student. "Both of you."

Little Grey immediately turned and walked around the corner to the adjacent hallway. Karev quickly followed suit. The agitated glare from Dr. Robbins reminded him of when she threatened to hit him with a brick.

"You so need to work on your whispering skills, Alex."

"Shut up. She heard the both of us, remember?"

Arizona was about to resume pacing when Dr's. Owen Hunt and Cristina Yang emerged from the psychiatrist's office. The trauma surgeon greeted Robbins with a nod, while his girlfriend barely acknowledged the peds surgeon. There was some lingering tension between them from the time Yang brown nosed Robbins to get on her service, yet they tolerated each other because of their connection with Callie. Since Arizona told her girlfriend she needed some space, Cristina no longer saw the need to be cordial.

"Dr. Robbins," Katharine Wyatt's voice immediately commanded her attention. "Did you need anything?"

"Oh...uh, no. No, thank you. I was just...I was just passing through and..."

"I see." The psychiatrist wasn't convinced. "Well, if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

The peds surgeon quickly walked away, heading towards the lobby. As she briskly walked out of the front entrance, Dr's. Teddy Altman and Mark Sloan were making their way towards the hospital. The two surgeons had recently been enjoying other's company after being fixed up by their mutual friends, Callie and Arizona. Sloan was making a noble effort to get better acquainted with the new cardiothoracic attending even though she secretly harbored feelings for Owen Hunt. Yet, she decided to take a chance on the cocky plastic surgeon to at least see where it would lead her.

"Is that Arizona? Where's she off to in such a hurry?" Teddy's voice was weighed down with concern for her new found friend.

"Aw, who cares." Sloan made no effort to hide the disdain in his gruff voice.

"What's eating you?"

"She hurt my best friend."

"That's really sweet that you're concerned about Callie, but Arizona didn't break up with her. She just asked for some space."

"Don't take her side."

"I'm not taking her side. But maybe she has a good reason for wanting to slow things down for awhile."

"I doubt it."

"Look, I haven't known her that long. But, Arizona doesn't strike me as someone who just does things on a whim. I'm going to go check on her. I'll catch up with you later."

Mark simply huffed in response.

"Don't be mad." Teddy drew herself closer to Sloan. Initially, he resisted but then took her into his arms. "She's my friend. I have to check on her, okay?"

"Alright."

The two surgeons briefly kissed. As Teddy walked towards the side of the hospital, she turned and smiled at Mark, who stood exactly where she left him. Arms folded together, his lips slowly curled upward into a smile of his own. Dr. Altman was shocked to find the peds surgeon taking a drag off of a cigarette. Once their eyes met, Arizona quickly stubbed out the cancer stick, exhaling a plume of smoke.

"Too late. I already saw you."

"I only smoke when I'm having trouble with Callie, which is thankfully not that often. But, this is the most I ever smoked in a long time. I'm already on my second pack this week, and it's only Monday."

"That's not good. Not good at all. And I'm not speaking as a cardiothoracic surgeon, but as a concerned friend. So, what's the deal? You never told me why you felt that you needed some space from her."

Arizona broke eye contact from Teddy, looking downward instead. She wanted to tell her why she decided to take some time apart from her beloved Calliope, yet couldn't string the words together.

"Sweetie, I'm not going to press the issue. But you really need to talk about this. If not to me, then somebody. Not only are you hurting Callie, you're hurting yourself. And at the rate you're going, you're going to end up on an iron lung before the week is out."

The peds surgeon mulled over the advice from her newfound friend. She looked towards Teddy. "I'll try."

"There is no try," Dr. Altman placed a hand on Dr. Robbins' shoulder. "Only do."

Arizona's brow quickly furrowed. "Did you just quote _Star Trek_ to me?"

"Not exactly." Teddy patted her friend on the shoulder before stepping away. "I kind of borrowed it from _Star Wars_."

The peds surgeon gave her colleague a puzzled look.

"What?" Teddy shrugged her shoulders. "Mark's got me watching those movies and I actually kind of like them. So, sue me. Listen, I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"Alright."

Teddy waved goodbye before walking towards the front of the hospital. Arizona waited until she was completely out her line of sight before pulling out another cigarette. She held it in between her lips, but couldn't bring herself to light it. After a moment, the peds surgeon removed the cigarette from her mouth and tossed it into the nearby garbage can, along with a book of matches and a nearly full pack of Virginia Slims.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, no one's heard from Addison today?" Sam Bennett couldn't hide how frantic he felt at the moment. "Anybody?"

"Nope." Cooper Freedman shrugged as he stirred sugar into his green tea.

"You, Charlotte? You heard from her?"

"Do I look like her babysitter to you?" Dr. King's Southern drawl added an extra sting to her remark. "Last time I checked, she's a grown woman."

As she hurriedly left the break room holding a cup of coffee, Sam looked towards Cooper as he shrugged again.

"I walked right into that one, huh?" Dr. Bennett wondered aloud.

"Mm-hmm." Dr. Freedman replied before taking a sip of tea.

Violet Turner entered the break room; carrying her son, Lucas. During her sabbatical from Oceanside Wellness Center, she realized that it was time to take a more active role as a mother. The psychiatrist handed custody over to Pete Wilder, Lucas' father.

"Hey. You wouldn't happen to have heard from Addison, have you?" Sam was still anxious to uncover his colleague's whereabouts, yet managed to restrain himself.

"It's time to feed Lucas." Violet's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Cooper, can you take him for a minute?"

"Sure." Lucas clapped as his mother handed over to the pediatrician. "Hey, buddy."

Violet retrieved a baby bottle from the refrigerator and ran it under some warm tap water. As the infant chortled with glee, Cooper looked over at Sam, who was stunned at the way Violet brushed him off.

"If you shrug your shoulders one more time..."

Cooper immediately turned away from Sam, bouncing up and down to amuse Lucas. Dell Parker walked briskly into the break room.

"Hey, Coop. Your 3:00 appointment is here."

"Thanks." Dr. Freedman was relieved that he had the chance to escape Sam's vindictive gaze. "Can you...?"

"Yeah, of course." The midwife took Violet's son from the pediatrician before he even finished his sentence. Cooper headed off to his office, where his patient awaited.

"I don't suppose you know where Addison is."

"No, not really." Dell gently cradled the infant in his arms. "All I know is she called to clear out her schedule for the rest of the week."

"The rest of the week? Where in the hell could she be?"

Music blared from a pair of speakers connected to an iPhone. Addison and Callie were dancing to the sounds of the eclectic duo known as J*DaVeY. Hips gyrated as red and black hair flailed about in tune with the song, "Mr. Mister". Their troubles were the furthest thing from their mind at the moment. Callie sang along, having known the lyrics by heart. As "Mr. Mister" drew to a close, both surgeons flopped down on the bed in Addison's hotel room.

"Dancing it out..." Dr. Montgomery paused to catch her breath. "...waaaay better than therapy."

"Told you." Dr. Torres slowly exhaled. The next song began with a twangy guitar that was all too familiar to her. It prompted the ortho surgeon to quickly skip over to the following track.

"Hey, that sounded kind of nice. Why did you cut it off?" Addison sat up, as she swept her auburn locks away from her face.

"It's our song. Me and Arizona's. I can't even listen to it right now. It's... it's too hard."

"Awww." Addison placed her hand on Callie's shoulder after she sat back down on the bed. "I never had a song with anybody."

"Not even Derek?"

"Oh yeah. We sure did. Uhhh...." The fiery redhead snapped her fingers. "'Don't Stop Believin''. Man, that was a long time ago."

"You and Derek were into Journey?" Callie began to giggle. "Oh, that just made my day."

"Shut up!" Addison mildly whacked her good friend on the shoulder. "It's a nice song."

"Did you pick that out or did he?"

"I did."

"I knew it."

"I was trying to get him into other music. He was heavily into punk rock at the time. The only album he ever listened to back then was 'London Calling' by The Clash."

"Never pegged McDreamy for a rock n' roller."

"I think he did it just to piss everyone off. Sure got under my skin." The former Mrs. Shepherd laid her head upon Callie's shoulder. "It's kinda what made him hot, too."

"Addie?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't take this the wrong way. I mean, I'm beyond happy you're that you here and all. But, why did you come back? What happened in L.A. that was so bad you came back to the rainiest city in the world?"

"I was stupid enough to get involved with a man that I knew was in love with someone else. And that someone else came back to claim what was rightfully hers."

"Ouch." Callie pat Addison upon her thigh. "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know, Callie. I just don't know. If I had all the answers, I would still be in L.A."

"And I wouldn't be here hiding out with you."

"Hmm. This is really nice." Amelia Shepherd looked around the house her brother now called home. "Comfy, even. I can't believe Ellis Grey used to live here."

"You make it sound like we're in a museum." Derek Shepherd removed his coat and placed it upon a hanger in a nearby closet. "It's just a house. Four walls, a roof , and some windows."

"But, you don't understand, Derek!" Amelia's husky voice echoed in the hallway. She removed her coat and handed it to her brother. "Ellis. Grey."

"Amy, I met the woman before she passed away. And I married her daughter, which you already knew."

"So, where is she? I wanna meet her."

The siblings turned around once they both heard the sound of creaking wood.

"I thought I heard someone downstairs." Meredith Grey gently held on to the rails as she made her descent towards the bottom of the staircase. "I was wondering when you were getting in."

Derek greeted his wife with a kiss. The sandy blonde turned around and extended a hand to her sister-in-law. "Hi, I'm Meredith."

"What's up with the handshake?" Amelia opened up her arms, much to Mere's surprise. "Come here. We're family now."

"Okay." Grey slowly settled into the younger Shepherd's embrace. Her eyes quickly darted over to Derek, who simply smiled and nodded. "We can do the hugging thing."

"Relax. I'm not gonna bite." Amelia released Meredith from her clutches. "I'm not like our sister Nancy, all judgmental and what not."

"Hmm. I like her already." Grey smiled back at her husband. "You hungry? All we have is leftovers in the fridge. Chinese takeout. Help yourself. No one really cooks around here. Just Izzie, but she doesn't live with us anymore."

"So what's the deal with this Izzie person?" Amelia wasted no time accepting her sister-in-law's invitation, retrieving a white carton from the top shelf of the refrigerator. Meredith and Derek followed the younger Shepherd into the kitchen. "If you don't mind me asking. It seems like no one wants to talk about her."

"She was a good friend of mine. We started out as interns together. Me, Izzie, my best friend Cristina, George-who's no longer with us, and Alex-who also lives here."

"So I've heard."

"Izzie left here on bad terms. She cut us off. So it's kinda hard to talk about."

"Sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine. The more I say it out loud, the easier it is for me to accept that she's gone."

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the kitchen.

"So," Meredith resumed the conversation. "Derek tells me you're a neuro surgeon, too."

"Yeah." Amelia heated up the carton of shrimp fried rice in the microwave. "I'm kinda in between jobs right now."

"What happened to the fellowship with Dr. Ginsberg?" Derek injected himself back into the conversation.

"She fired me. We had a difference of opinion on the case I worked on with Addison."

"Isn't that the same case Addison e-mailed you the scans for?" Meredith asked her husband. "The case you said was a lost cause?"

"Yeah. But, Amelia here managed to wake the patient up."

"Seriously?" Meredith looked to her sister-in-law with admiration. "Ginsberg should hire you back then."

"Yeah, she should." Amelia removed the carton from the microwave after the bell rang. "But, she won't. I already asked. I guess I burnt that bridge when I contradicted her in front of the patient's husband."

"Amy..." Derek sighed. "That was out of line. I would've fired you myself for that and you're my sister."

"Derek, I managed to something that you and Dr. Ginsberg said couldn't be done!"

"That's not the point, Amy!"

"What do you mean it's not the point?!"

"Okay! Okay! Enough!" Meredith stood in between the quarreling Shepherds. "Relax. There are no scalpels here. It's just us. Take a moment and just breathe."

"Dude, what is this? Yoga class?" Alex Karev entered the kitchen, followed by Lexie Grey

"Hmm." Amelia perked up once she laid eyes upon the brash young resident, something Meredith immediately took notice of. "I see what Addison meant about this being a frat house."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you." Derek leaned towards his wife. "Addison's back in town. She's visiting Callie."

"Well, isn't that nice." Derek couldn't tell whether or not Meredith was being sarcastic.

"So, you must be Alex." Amelia's expression didn't hide how enamored she was with him. It made Lexie very uncomfortable. "Hi, I'm Amelia. Amelia Shepherd."

"Dude," Karev looked angrily towards Derek. "You got another ex-wife you didn't tell Meredith about?"

"Alex..." Mere starred daggers at her fellow resident.

"No, silly." Amelia's husky voice cracked before she began to laugh. She touched Alex on the arm, causing Lexie to exhale through flared nostrils. "Derek's my brother. You know, you're funny."

"Yeah, he's a regular laugh riot." Derek knew for sure that his sister-in-law was being sarcastic. "Hi. Lexie Grey. I'm Meredith's sister."

"Hi."

"Well, it's been a long day." The newly minted blonde gestured upstairs. "I'm about to turn in. Good night, everybody."

"Good night." Those remained in the kitchen replied in unison.

"Yeah, I'm about to turn in myself." Karev announced after he yawned. "Good night, everybody. Nice to meet you, Amelia."

"Likewise."

Derek took notice of his sister's smile before Alex left the kitchen. He then looked towards his wife, who responded with a nod. Once the creaking sound of wood from Lexie and Karev walking upstairs ceased, Meredith cleared her throat.

"So, do you want to take this?" The older Grey asked her husband. "Or should I handle it?"

"Be my guest." Derek fished a bottled water from the fridge. "She never listens when it comes to stuff like that."

"Stuff like what?" Amelia exchanged looks between her brother and Meredith. "What are you guys getting at?"

"I know we just met." The sandy blonde directed her attention to the younger Shepherd. "And I don't mean to get all in your business, but I don't think it's a good idea to get mixed up with Alex."

"Huh? What do you mean? We were just talking."

"What I saw went way beyond 'just talking'." Mere emphasized her point by using air quotes.

"I thought I was going have to hose you down." Derek interjected before taking a sip of water.

"You know my friend, Izzie, that you asked about?" Grey continued. "Her and Alex, they were married. Right now, they're going through a divorce. And it's pretty rough on him. He may not show it, but it is. He's not emotionally available right now. It's just not a good idea."

"I appreciate your concern, Meredith." Amelia picked up the carton of shrimp fried rice from off the counter and grabbed a clean fork from the dish rack. "But I hope you had the same discussion with your sister because obviously, there's something going on between her and Alex."

The feisty brunette walked into the living room.

"That well went." Mere stood, looking dumbfounded.

"Don't worry about it. She doesn't hate your guts, if that's what you're worried about." Derek took another sip of water before kissing his wife. "You did good."

The sandy blonde smiled, reassured that she did the right thing.

An exhausted Arizona Robbins rode the elevator downstairs. After performing two lengthy surgeries back to back, she looked forward to leaving the hospital for the day. However, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of going back to her own apartment alone. The peds surgeon cursed herself. She told her girlfriend to give her some space and got exactly what she asked for. It seemed like a good idea at the moment. But, that decision seemed to do their relationship more harm than good. No matter how awkward it would've been, Arizona was hoping to at least get a glimpse of Callie's beautiful face. Those piercing dark brown eyes. That sparkling smile. Her flawless olive complexion. The long, curly jet black hair that she loved to run her fingers through. She longed to hear that deep, infectious laugh and feel her vivacious curves. Arizona had to settle for a picture of the two of them on her Blackberry. The same picture Callie accidentally cued up at her lecture.

The elevator bell dinged, prompting the blonde haired beauty to put her phone away. As the doors slid open, someone she wasn't eager to see was waiting to step aboard. Mark Sloan stood towards the front of the elevator. At the moment, he regarded Arizona as the enemy.

"I hope you're happy with yourself." Mark broke the silence, his back still facing Arizona.

"Excuse me?"

"I know you heard me." The plastic surgeon turned to face Dr. Robbins. "But I'll repeat it for you. I said I hope you're happy with yourself."

"Mark, if you're mad at me over what happened with Callie; then quite frankly; it does not concern you."

"This is coming from someone whose whole existance revolves around butting in other people's business! You were the best thing that ever happened to that woman, and then you just up and walk away when it gets a little tough! And guess who's left to pick up the pieces again? Me!"

"Oh! You would love that, wouldn't you? You'd get have her all to yourself again!"

"What the hell are you talking about?! She's my best friend! I'm not in love with Callie! I never was! I'm in love with..." Mark briefly looked away from Arizona as the image of Lexie flashed in his mind. "Never mind, that's not the point. All I'm saying is every time she gets her heart broken, I have to pick her back up!"

"If that's what you think of her, then you don't know her at all! She's not delicate! The Callie I know is strong and independent and brave! She doesn't need anyone to pick her back up! She takes her lumps, and then she gets back up and stands on her two feet!"

"You don't understand. I have to pick her back up, because that's what she would do for me." Mark's voice was much calmer, in an attempt to an appeal to Arizona's reasoning. "That's what she would for you, Cristina or anybody else she cares about. No questions asked. Like when Sloan wanted to give her baby up. I offered to take him in. Then, Callie stepped up and said she would raise him with me. That's the type of person she is."

"She what?" Arizona was stunned by what Mark had just told her. In her head, she saw the image of him, Callie and Sloan's son as one big, happy family. It brought tears to her eyes.

The elevator bell rang once more. The doors opened, revealing that Teddy Altman was waitng to step aboard.

"Excuse me." The peds surgeon spoke gently as she rushed past the cardio goddess.

"Arizona?" Teddy called out to her. "Arizona!"

As the doors of the elevator began to close, Dr. Altman braced herself in between them. "What just happened?"

"We had some words."

"There had to more than just words or she wouldn't have ran off in tears like that."

"Maybe she didn't agree with what I had to say."

Teddy looked at Mark in disbelief. He stood there before her with no remorse for what he said to the peds surgeon.

"So, this is what Mark Sloan is really like, huh? You've been so nice and the last few weeks have been really great. I was actually convinced that you were a good guy, in spite of what everybody says about you. I guess you weren't the man I thought you were."

Owen Hunt walked towards the sound of Teddy's voice with concern. He didn't approve of his friend dating Mark Sloan, and not just because of his reputation. Dr. Altman stepped away from the elevator and briskly walked down the hall in search of her friend. A glance at Mark Sloan braced in between the elevator doors caused the trauma surgeon's jaw to clench.

"Teddy!" Owen's baritone voice commanded the attention of those nearby. "Teddy, are you alright?"

"Not now, Owen! Not now!"

Dr. Hunt redirected his attention towards Dr. Sloan, exhaling through flared nostrils.

"What the fuck are you looking at, bug eyes?" Mark stepped back from the elevator entrance, allowing the doors to slide. "Go grow some eyebrows or something! You're freaking everybody out!"

Owen's gaze was fixated on the elevator moments after the doors closed. Nurses, interns and those who came to visit their loved ones whispered amongst themselves about the insult that Dr. Sloan hurled at him.

Teddy continued walking down the hallway until she noticed an on-call room. She knocked upon the door. There was no response.

"Arizona? Can you hear me?" Still, no response. "Alright, whoever's in there, I'm coming in."

Slowly, Dr. Altman opened the door. She found Dr. Robbins sitting on a bed, wiping tears away from her eyes. Teddy placed her purse on the floor nearby and sat down next to her friend.

"I'm fine." Arizona sniffled before wiping her nose. "Don't worry about me."

"Arizona, sweetie, you are not fine." The cardio goddess put her arm around the blonde haired beauty. "And I am worried. You once told me you like to fix people. Let somebody fix you for a change."

After a few silent moments, Dr. Robbins stood up. "Teddy, can you come with me? There's something I need to do."

Dr. Wyatt was locking up her office as Arizona rapidly approached her.

"Oh, good. I caught you before you left."

"How may help you, Dr. Robbins?"

"I was...hoping I could schedule an appointment."

"Hmm. Well, I don't have my datebook handy. But, I tell you what. Come see me first thing in the morning and I'll fit you as early as I can. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good."

"Great." Dr. Wyatt slightly grinned. "See you tomorrow, Dr. Robbins."

"I'm so proud of you right now." Teddy threw her arm back around Arizona, who smiled in response. Her dimples hadn't been seen in a few days. "Come on, let's to Krispy Kreme. Donuts on me."


End file.
